RSSAnalysts: Windows Mobile 6.5 offers no reason to upgrade, no value for enterprises
By Tim Conneally | Published May 21, 2009, 2:41 PM
"There is little benefit for end users (i.e., business) to upgrade to [Windows Mobile] 6.5," stated Adam Leach, London, UK-based principal consumer wireless analyst for Ovum, in an e-mail to Betanews this morning.
It's a sharp condemnation coming from the oft-cited telecom analyst and contributor to BBC Radio 4, and it's sounding more and more like Leach is not alone. Although there had been a buzz since last February around the upcoming revision to Microsoft Windows Mobile, it has noticeably died down. This even though Windows Mobile 6.5 was supposed to be launched on May 11, the first day of TechEd 2009. As it turned out, the system was only "announced," after having already been "announced" at Mobile World Congress back in February.
Marketing for the OS update, which by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's own admission is an incremental release -- a stopgap until Windows Mobile 7 -- seems to be out of the company's control. Company spokespersons had told Betanews and others there would be information literally pouring from the TechEd 2009 show earlier this month. Although there were several TechEd presentations related to Windows Mobile, their replay is still being restricted to attendees only, except for one single session related to the Windows Mobile Marketplace and Widget creation carried by Ars Technica.
Then this week, Windows Mobile 6.5 was quasi-officially "released to manufacturers." The development team simply Tweeted the news, which has since been confirmed by Microsoft spokesperson Josh Rhodes. So the big event went along with no big unveiling -- except for the marketplace developer program -- and then there was no official announcement that production of the OS has effectively begun? What's going on here?
Technical product manager Loke Uei said on Monday that we will begin seeing WM 6.5 phones "toward the fall of this year." But manufacturers whose phones would include the OS have not been even that vocal -- there's still not a whole lot of information about which phones will come with the OS, which new devices loaded with 6.1 that will be upgradeable, and which ones will be equipped with the "standard" version (non-touch) versus the "Professional" version (touch).
One thing is quite clear, though. Version 6.5 is a stepchild in Windows Mobile's product family. 6.1 devices that are already out will not be able to upgrade to 6.5, and the development team "has not announced any upgrade plans or even a new version after 6.5," according to a Tweet from Loke Uei.
"This is fairly typical, as few WM devices in the past have been upgradeable to a newer version of the OS," Jack Gold, President and Principal Analyst of J. Gold Associates said today.
Ovum's Adam Leach added, "As the release's main improvements are related to the user experience of the device (as opposed to new features), vendors (OEMs and ODMs) releasing consumer devices this year will consider 6.5 in the hope that it will be more attractive to new users than previous versions of Windows Mobile."
So with its new interface, new app marketplace and development of an environment around it, the main focus of 6.5 is not utility, but attractiveness. The enterprise sector, where Windows Mobile has proven highly integrable and useful, is being sidelined.
Gold said, "Yes, 6.5 is really a beauty treatment rather than a complete remake of the OS. Other than the cosmetics, I can't see any major reason to upgrade. And by the time that WM 7 ships, it may already be too little too late for Microsoft."
Windows Mobile 6.5 will have a lot of new apps, features and technologies that will be included and introduced. Just to name a few: internet explorer mobile, live mesh for mobile, windows media player mobile, windows mobile marketplace,.NET compact framework, .NET mobile, compact framework, and SQL server compact. The Windows Mobile contact list will get a huge visual boost and be more touch-friendly as well, with larger menu items and an updated look. Microsoft has officially confirmed a new web browser for Windows Mobile, Internet Explorer 6. The hottest new features and apps include: My Phone--a backup and recovery service for contacts, photos and other data stored on a mobile device. My Phone will also be available for phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1. The new Windows Marketplace for Mobile is a centralized place to buy increasingly popular mobile applications. Windows Mobile 6.5 features a new user interface and "honeycomb". A customizable start screen with hexagonal tiles for each program that are designed to be easier to use on touch-screen phones. The Windows Mobile start menu can be customized with Internet applications like weather or stock reports, that are automatically updated. The new Windows Mobile 6.5 user interface is designed to be more "finger friendly," You can also move icons up or down in the new layout. In addition, the new Windows Mobile Home screen will support special widgets, which will give status information like missed calls, new messages, etc. Another new feature of Windows Mobile 6.5 allows people to go directly to waiting voice mail, text messages or other information when unlocking their phones. Microsoft Recite, came out of the company's research group. It allows people to record voice notes or other audio files on Windows Mobile phones and then search for keywords using their voice. LG is set to launch 50 new Windows Mobile devices over the next 4 years. And to boot you will get widgets in windows mobile 6.5. The widgets will appear to function just as full applications do, and will have their own icons in Windows Mobile menus and access to web content. The widgets will be powered, in part, by the new Mobile Internet Explorer 6, which will give them access to Flash and ActiveX controls. The widgets will also have control of the SK menu bar. According to Microsoft, the widgets can be written with standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, AJAX, and JavaScript.
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|Windows Mobile 6.x is kinda slow due to both OS itself and current CPU/battery power. It's also kinda crash-prone.
I believe it'll take approx 5-10 yrs before Microsoft KILLS all competitors as the most popular mobile phone platform. The overall Apple solution (hardware + service + all_hardware_accessories + all_extra_software_you_need) will always be too expensive for vast majority of folks. It'll NEVER be the BEST value product, they simply never concentrate on low-level products. Similarly, Blackberry/Symbian/Android have no long-term hope to beat a mobile MS platform, with best dev tools (Visual Studio) support, perfect Office Suite connectivity and other future Windows-Office app compatibility.
It'll probably be relatively easy to convert a "regular" Windows 7 (or later) app to the Windows Mobile platform with some future version of Visual Studio...
For next few years, though, Windows Mobile is gonna kinda suck.
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|once again what is really needed here? Email and a phone.. the rest is a toy..
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|The correct tittle:
Windows Mobile offers no reason to use it, no value. Enterprises were cheated, again.
Long live to Symbian, Mac OS, Android!
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|All this talk of Enterprise, and never a Blackberry comment.
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|I do like Symbian, Mac OS and Android. I do not like WM and Blackberry...
Still, I have to say it: Blackberry is not as pathetic as WM
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|Blackberry blows. Who in their right mind is going to introduce a solution that ADDS up to 600% IOPS to the Exchange storage, requires a separate server, and has to be managed outside of Exchange? Now, granted, there is ActiveSync for Blackberry, but it's 3rd party. And, like Apple, poorly implemented.
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|Kinda scary that MS doesn't see this as an important market crucial to their future.
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|My thought is this and MS has done this before. WM 6.5 is like Windows ME. Windows ME was made to basically bring something out because they weren't sure when XP was going to ship. WM 6.5 is coming out because their not sure when WM 7 is going to ship. So basically WM 6.5 is a filler of. WM 7 will be the true breakthrough OS like Winows 7 is to XP. Vista was basically a filler OS to I guess you can say. I just hope when WM 7 comes out its not to late. Look at all the phone OS' that are being revamped or new OS' coming out. There is WebOS, Android, Symbian, Apple mobile...am I missing any? Its not like the Desktop where Windows is just competing with Linux and Apple. BUT handset companies like HTC, Palm, and LG will continue making phones with WM unless they sign with someone else. HTC is making Android phones and Palm of course has WebOS. LG said they will make their smartphones WM. Motorolla is making an Android phone. Nokia has Symbian. I guess we'll just have to see.
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|Don't forget business' and government's best friend... The Blackberry. =)
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|So, as thew ToolMan said, the average corp will stick to what they use now and only upgrade if they can't get the tried-and-true.
Doesn't bode well for the sales of 6.5...
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|Wow, so the Microsoft approach is throw the phone away to get a new OS...hey wait, that is their PC model too. As other said, nothing new to see here.
Can't wait to upgrade my iPhone OS to the new version this summer....for free.
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|Sure you'll be able to upgrade to the new iphone OS but you'll have to buy a new phone to get ALL the new options. Not like upgrading your phone will make your phone JUST like an iphone 3. I don't know which is worse being able to upgrade and not get the full effects of the OS or having to get a new phone when a new OS comes out. Their both a pain but one is more of a "nah nah look what you can't do".
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|Apple charges $10 for OS updates on touch models, also.
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|First of to this article:
I've run newer OS' on HTC Phones that weren't meant to run them. The XDA Developers Forum has a slew of updates for older Windows Mobile phones. (Examples of upgraded software are the HTC Wizard/AT&T 8125 running windows mobile 6.1, an HTC 8925 running beta's of Windows Mobile 6.5)
Second - What has taken Microsoft so long to get a decent OS out to market? It seems like we're stuck in the windows 3.0 3.1 3.11 for workgroups era in terms of smart phones! If it wasn't for creative gui developers at oems microsoft's standard software would be like running microsoft office 95,97,2000, 2003...it's basicly the same program with a new year revision on it and prettier icons! Come on people! horrible tiny screens? no support from hardware vendors for software upgrades, its a nightmare! When phones cost $400+ and people have to suffer to use it why bother?
As for the iPhone - Why can't they build their PC's with such backward compatibility and free updates? BIG screen, sensitive touch response since day 1 almost 2 years ago!! Email, games, music, APPS! I think Blackberry is paying apple NOT to put a keypad and to stick with AT&T exclusively! If iPhone were universal (CDMA version too not just GSM) with a slide out keypad there would be no reason they wouldn't rule the mobile phone world. New hardware, new features - but the software experience remains.
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|Tim - aren't you the Mac guy who forgets to mention WM in favor of a non-existent Pre, while it is the 2nd most used mobile device OS on the market? Or while major manufacturers like Acer just announced to roll out 9 WM sets besides one Android this year?
Are you sure you are the right person to write this article?
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|While Acer is a major PC manufacturer, I would hardly consider them a major handset manufacturer, especially since the bulk of their roster is still re-badged E-ten stuff.
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|Few things:
6.0 is *not* upgradeable to 6.5. Devices currently running WinMo will *not* be upgradeable to 6.5. This has been known for some time, so I hope this guy is referring to *device* upgrades.
As for device upgrades, if a corporation is shopping for replacement devices will stick to their current processes. If they are currently using a specific model, and that model remains available, they will likely stick with it (no 6.5). If they cannot get the current model, they will upgrade, as usual, to the next in line (most likely a 6.5), since the functionality they are familiar with will still be there.
IOW: Nothing new to see here folks....
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|@PC_Tool. 6.x isn't upgradeable officially. Heck, HTC, etc havn't said they'll offer upgrades for anything other than the touch pro2/diamond2. Of course, you can get cooked (beta) 6.5 ROMS from XDA forums now an dI imagine once they get their hands on a "final" build, you'll be able to "upgrade" your existing phones, if they have the grunt to handle it. (I'm running a 6.5 cooked rom on my HTC Touch pro right now)
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|Sorry, wasn't discussing hacks, as they are unsupported and *far* afield of mainstream.
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